A Side of Chivalry
by QueenCheetah
Summary: AU one-shot- Bakura Touzokou gets set up on a blind date by a friend- but sometimes things don't always go exactly according to plan... BXR Tendershipping


(A/N: ~Warning: Minor gore, lots of fluff. Enjoy!~)

'A blind-f*cking date. Are you sh*tting me...'

The ill-tempered man hissed as he guided his luxury sedan into the parking lot. The valet bowed before taking the keys from Bakura Touzokou. The white-haired man scowled as he headed towards the main entrance.

'I've never even _been_ on a blind date before... curse that fool...'

One of his close friends, Marik, had taken it upon himself to find a 'match' for the moody millionaire.

" _He's totally hot,_ _only_ _a year older than you- a_ _nd, he comes from money, too! So you know he isn't just_ _after_ _your checkbook!"_

'D*mn it, Marik...'

The upscale restaurant, Sur les Motos, was known for their excellent service and stunning décor.

Bakura had to admit, even as the son of a wealthy business mogul, he was impressed. The lavish entryway was lined with a dark-red rug, which went past the maitre d's podium. All of the paintings on the walls were oil-based originals, protected by museum-grade glass and ornate, gilded frames.

Mr. Touzokou stepped up to the wooden stand, and was greeted by an official looking man in a black sports coat.

"Good evening, sir."

The white-haired tycoon only gave him a brief nod before speaking. "Bakura Touzokou. Party of two."

The headwaiter checked the handsome black-and-gold book listing all the guest names for the evening. "Ah, yes- here we are- if you'll follow me, sir."

The maitre d' guided him to the back of the restaurant, where a young man already was waiting at a small table. The headwaiter bowed again before leaving the two men alone.

Bakura quickly sized up the stranger in front of him. The seated man slowly stood up and held out one hand.

The man had on a black suit with a blue-and-grey tie over a dark blue shirt. His vivid, dark-green hair was slicked back past his ears. His eyes were a rather interesting shade of burnt umber.

Bakura had to admit, he wasn't bad looking. For one of Marik's cohorts, anyway.

"Hello- I take it you're Mr. Touzokou?" The sleazy grin on the other man's face wasn't exactly reassuring, but Bakura let it slide. He nodded and extended a pale hand towards the stranger.

"Bakura's fine."

The grin widened. "Kenji. Kenji Watanabe." Mr. Watanabe gestured to the ornately carved chairs. "Shall we?"

The two both sat down, and began the usual small-talk questions. Bakura was a bit annoyed to find that Mr. Watanabe seemed to prefer one topic above everything else- that topic being Mr. Watanabe.

It was almost as though the man couldn't stop bragging- at first Mr. Touzokou assumed it was just nerves talking (he was, after all, the son of a fairly famous business mogul). Yet Kenji had barely asked more than his age before launching into a long tirade of his international trades and successes.

'Ugh... where's the damn waiter already...' Though it had only been a few minutes, Mr. Touzokou was eager to order. Hopefully his narcissistic date would order something that couldn't be talked through- like soup, or maybe an over-cooked steak.

A slender figure suddenly approached the table with a formal bow. "Good evening, sirs!"

Bakura felt his mouth suddenly go dry. The uniformed young man was undoubtedly one of the most attractive beings to ever grace the planet. His flowing, sleek hair was a brilliant shade of white. His eyes radiated warmth and sweetness with soft, hickory-toned hues. And his smile- had any lips ever looked so utterly kissable?!

"My name is Ryou, and I'll be your waiter for tonight! May I suggest the chef's specialty, strips of Wagyu steak cooked on our wood-fired grill and served with your choice of warm sauce?"

Mr. Touzokou tried to speak, but was interrupted by his 'blind date.'

"No. We'll both have the Wagyu steak."

The waiter paused for a moment, but didn't say anything as he jotted down the order. "Of course, sirs."

Bakura was annoyed at his date's presumptuousness, but let it slide. 'Marik probably told him I'm an incurable carnivore.'

"Right then- I will return momentarily with the wine steward. Thank you, sirs." The attractive waitstaff bowed before briskly stepping away.

Kenji watched as the server stepped out of sight. The man chuckled deviously and whispered to his companion: "It's such fun to mess with the lower class."

"Tch." Bakura was getting really annoyed with this idiot- how small was his package that he'd get a thrill from messing with the waiter? The very _attractive_ waiter, mind you...

Mr. Touzokou let his thoughts wander as his date droned on and on about his favorite subject again.

"And although the quarterly earnings were a mere fraction of an improvement, given the decline of the marketing sector in Beijing it's still a highly impressive-"

Bakura nodded absentmindedly, occasionally throwing out a vague comment such as "mm-hmm," or "right." He was far more interested in that adorable server of theirs. His boredom quickly deflated when he saw the fair-haired youth making his way past their table. But the young attendant didn't look like he was going to stop- his arms were full, holding several silver trays full of empty wine glasses.

Kenji noticed as well, and a nasty smirk formed on his face as he stuck one leg out from under the table.

There was a horrible sound of glass shattering, and someone screamed.

The confused server let out a faint noise of pain. He was lying on the ground, surrounded by the scattered remains of fine glassware. Ryou awkwardly shifted his weight to his left side, revealing the cause of the patron's scream: one of the broken wine glasses was now partially embedded in his right forearm.

Crimson blood dripped steadily from the impaled waiter's limb.

"Ah... ah..." The stunned employee could barely react. His eyes widened as he took in the scope of the damage. "Oh my... e-e-excuse me!" He quickly gathered up the unbroken dishes with his other arm, and ran toward the kitchen entrance.

There were whispers from all over the restaurant, but Bakura was most annoyed by the smug jack*ss sitting across from him. Kenji wasn't even in the slightest bit apologetic- in fact, he looked more pleased than anything.

Without a word, Bakura stood up and followed after the poor boy.

The heavy black doors of the dining area were designed to block the kitchen sounds from the patrons. But Mr. Touzokou swiftly pushed past the dark barriers and strode through.

There was a small group of employees near the front of the room. A tall blonde hung nearby, holding an empty garbage bag and watching anxiously. Ryou was seated on what looked like an upturned milk-carton. His injuries were being treated by another waiter, a very short man with wild-colored hair.

"Ryou, this looks really bad- you _have_ to go to the Emergency Room."

But the paler server just shook his head sadly. "N-no, I can't afford a visit to the hospital- I'll treat it at home."

The sandy-haired garbage boy suddenly spoke up. "Ya better listen to Yug' there, Ryou." The gangly custodian insisted. "I've been in a lotta scraps, an' I know when someone needs ta visit the ER. Gimme a few minutes and I'll drive ya myself."

At the mention of 'a few minutes,' Bakura broke out of his stupor, and interrupted the trio. "No- I'll take him."

"Eh?" The three friends all turned to look at the newcomer.

The lanky cleaner recognized the patron as one of men involved, and he puffed up. "Hey, what's the big idea, hurting our pal like that?! He didn't do anythin' to ya!"

"Jou, please- I don't want you to get fired as well!" The bleeding boy pleaded with the irate blonde.

"Fired?" Bakura blinked in confusion. "You were _fired_? Why?"

The garbage attendant scowled. " _Apparently_ it's against the rules for the wait staff to _bleed_ in front of the damn customers! Even if it's th' customer's fault!"

"It's a health issue, Jou. I understand." The white-haired worker admitted dejectedly.

Bakura could only frown. "That's still unfair grounds for a dismissal."

"Yeah, well, welcome to tha' real world, pal." The caustic blonde snorted. "One law for the rich, an' one law for the rest of us."

An older man suddenly burst through the dark doors. His formal attire and brazen attitude made it clear that he was the executive chef.

"Speakin' of..." Jou muttered mutinously under his breath.

The grey-haired fop instantly ran up to Mr. Touzokou and bowed. "My apologies, sir, for the disruption- however, guests of our establishment are not allowed in the kitchens- _for health reasons_." The man shot a nasty look towards the still-seated Ryou. The employee was clutching the same bloody cloth to his arm, and he looked away in discomfort.

Bakura decided it was time to let his displeasure show. "This evening has been a massive disappointment- frankly, I'm appalled at your protocol regarding the entire incident."

The clueless toady bowed again. "I apologize for the unsightly behavior- rested assured that the individuals involved have been released from our services."

"Which would be the basis of my complaint."

"Eh?!" The three younger staff members nearby blanked in shock.

The head chef also seemed at a loss for words. His mouth gaped open and shut like a stunned flounder.

The wealthy patron went on. "One of your staff has been badly injured following an accident that was no fault of his own. I'm sure a brief glance at your security cameras would prove that he was forcibly displaced by my _former_ date." He turned to look at the stunned server. "In fact, given the circumstances, I'd say that he handled the situation very well. Mr. Ryou did nothing wrong. I'm ashamed to say that I was seated across from the culprit, but it did make me a witness." His eyes narrowed and he glared down at the insipid yes-man. _"Or are you questioning my word?"_

"N-no! Never, sir!" The flabbergasted manager bowed repeatedly. "O-of course you're right!"

"I will be taking this young man to the nearest hospital- he's clearly in pain and needs to be seen by a health professional. I will handle his medical bills, and in exchange, you will not fire his friends- is that understood?"

The triad stared in shock- what sort of stranger would just up and pay the medical bills of their _waiter_?!

The tall blonde eyed the odd Samaritan, but kept his comments to himself. 'He must be pretty loaded if he can afford t' eat here... still, I dunno if he looks trustworthy...'

But the shortest member of the staff was far more eager to see his injured friend get treatment. "Thank you, sir, that would be greatly appreciated!" Yugi gave a quick bow before guiding the dazed victim towards the man. "Ryou, you have your cell phone, so call me or Jou if you need anything else, alright?"

"Um..." The shy server seemed rather bewildered by the turn of events, and he stood in slight stupor by the doors. He looked up at the patron, whose scarlet eyes were trained on the waiter's own.

"I'm truly sorry about what happened. I want to ensure that you get the treatment you need."

Ryou blinked. There was no denying that this man was exceedingly handsome- honestly, he wasn't sure if it was _only_ blood loss that was making him feel so faint.

But to go with a stranger he just met, when his dinner partner was the reason behind his injuries...

The slightly older man sighed and dug out his wallet. "My name is Bakura Touzokou." Here he flashed his driver's license for the group to study. "I'm rather well-known, and I'm listed on the maitre d's records. Not to mention there's security cameras all over this place." He gently placed one arm around the waiter's left side to steer him. "Come on, that needs to be looked at."

"Oh, a-alright." The boy seemed to tense at the touch, but relaxed when Yugi silently mouthed 'we'll call later'. Jou also gave him a thumb's-up sign, along with a wide grin. Ryou gave a faint smile- he felt a little calmer. It was reassuring to know that they would check up on him. 'I guess I should go with him, then...' He knew he could count on his friends, and there was no denying that he was losing a significant amount of blood.

Bakura took the worker's stuttered words as a sign of acceptance, and they headed towards the restaurant. The contrite guest carefully guided the wounded waiter past the many tables and chairs. They were about halfway through the ornate obstacle course when a rough voice called out from behind them.

"Bakura?! Hey, what're you doing? Our date isn't over!"

There was a moment's pause in which Bakura contemplated letting everything go. He continued silently guiding the bleeding steward towards the front door.

But Kenji kept after the pair. "Bakura- stop! You're letting that minimum wage-slave bleed all over your jacket!"

Bakura slowed to a halt. He took a deep breath.

 _'F*ck it.'_

"Hm. You're right about our date, Mr. Watanabe." The white-haired man spun around and slammed his fist right into the b*stard's face. Ryou could only stare as the rude aristocrat fell to the floor, spitting and cursing.

" _ **Now**_ it's over." Bakura leaned over and whispered callously into the man's ear. _"G_ _o f*ck yourself so you can get over yourself already."_

Ryou nearly fainted again- from shock or blood loss, he wasn't certain. 'What have I gotten myself into?!' But there was little time for second-guessing, as they were soon outside, waiting for the valet service to fetch Mr. Touzokou's car.

The young waiter couldn't help but stare at the gleaming white vehicle that was driven up to them. It was a high-class machine, no doubt, and clearly something he would never be able to afford.

But Bakura simply hit the 'unlock' button on his keys, and grabbed the handle of the side door.

"Here." He held the door open and gestured to the passenger seat.

The server's eyes widened as he ogled the fine leather upholstery. "But- but I'll get blood all over the seat!"

Bakura snorted and waved a hand in dismissal. "Don't worry about it- it can be cleaned or re-upholstered, I'm sure. I'm far more concerned about you."

"Oh!" The adorable squeak Mr. Touzokou got in return was well worth the cost of any re-upholtering. "Um, alright then..." Ryou slid onto the jet-black material, wincing as his right arm twinged in protest.

"I'll try not to make much of a mess..."

"Seriously, it's fine. I've already had this car for a few years anyway."

Ryou felt a bit of embarrassment when he realized that his own car- a shabby compact- was just about to reach the 12-year mark. He looked out the window as his charitable companion started the engine.

"I'm a rather safe driver, but I can speed up if you think you're getting worse." Bakura added as they turned onto the main road.

"Oh, thank you, but I think I'm going to be alright- the hospital's not far, right?"

"Only a few minutes- trust me, I have a friend who's practically a permanent resident there, given all his crazy schemes."

Ryou giggled (Bakura had to admit, the sound was light and pleasant) and turned to face the driver. "That sounds a lot like one of my friends- he's quite a strange guy, and he loves getting into mischief."

Bakura snorted in amusement. "Sounds like Marik to a 'T'."

"That's odd..."

"Hm? What's 'odd'?"

"Well, my friend's name is Malik. He's a foreigner, though, so he has very dark skin and unusually blonde hair."

Bakura nearly hit the brakes, he was so stunned. "You're joking. Marik was born in Egypt, and he's darker than this leather! And his hair is wild and crazy blonde!"

"Whoa... this is quite a shock. Malik was also born in Egypt, and his hair is platinum blonde! Not sure how crazy I'd call it, though- I mean, you've seen the company I keep."

The wealthy man nodded as he remembered the short guy in the back of the restaurant. "Hey- is this Malik guy single?"

Ryou felt his heart sink a bit. '...I guess he likes exotic guys...' "Oh, um, yeah... I think so."

Bakura grinned. "We should totally set them up together."

"Oh!" The passenger felt his heart speed up as he shared his consent. "Yes, that could be fun! I know Malik enjoys finding others with ties to Egypt!"

"Marik's always been into darker men- he rags on me all the time, joking how I should start investing in the tanning business."

The two shared a chuckle, and continued their small talk as they drove. A short while later, they saw the sign directing them to the right off-ramp.

The late hour meant that not many people were still on staff, but thankfully Ryou's cut was considered enough of an 'emergency' to warrant immediate treatment. The nervous youth walked into the reception area to fill out the basic paperwork.

Meanwhile, Bakura parked the car and managed to find Ryou in the nearly-empty waiting room.

Ryou thought Bakura might scarper once all personal responsibility fell on the medical staff, but to his pleasant surprise, the man stayed. Mr. Touzokou even followed him into the exam room, and waited patiently in a plastic chair as the doctor treated the wound.

"After the sterilization, I'm going to inspect the cut to make sure there aren't any fragments of glass still inside, and then I'll sew the wound up with dissolving stitches."

Ryou swallowed heavily, but didn't say anything as the physician carefully dabbed the gash with an antiseptic. The man then took a specialized magnifying glass and double-checked that all the pieces had been removed.

"Hmm... your friend did a good job. It's not a very nice place to have a wound, but it should heal rather fast." The medical staff member nodded and turned around. "I have to get the needles- we store them in a separate cabinet. Just keep the arm elevated and I'll be right back." The physician stepped out, leaving the door only partly-closed behind him.

Although both of the men had naturally pale faces, Bakura noticed that Ryou's seemed to completely drain of any color when the doctor mentioned the needles.

"Hey, are you alright?" The taller man leaned forwards in his chair towards the patient.

"I... have a small phobia... of... needles." Ryou admitted anxiously.

The doctor suddenly returned, and he began preparing the thread for stitching.

"Here." Bakura quietly shifted his chair closer to the exam table, and held out one arm. "Hold my hand, and don't look at the injury. It'll help."

The shy waiter's face rapidly surpassed the healthiest tomatoes. He only nodded as he gently grasped the offered appendage.

Despite the situation, Bakura felt himself smile a little. At first the grip on his hand was tenuous- almost like a butterfly on a leaf. But Ryou's grip tightened quickly once the doctor began his work.

Not that Bakura minded. The boy could hold him as tight as he wanted.

The doctor finally finished his handiwork and smiled. "Very good- only 9 stitches in total. You should be all set in a few moments. Allow me to just put some gauze on that, and we'll be finished."

"Thank you, doctor." Ryou gave a deep sigh as he felt his muscles unclench. His fear of needles (combined with the fact that he'd never needed stitches before) made him really nervous. Although the contact had helped...

"Oh!" He gasped as he realized that he was still very tightly gripping Mr. Touzokou's hand. "Sorry about that!" The patient's face flushed as he let go of the other man's hand.

"Not a problem." Although his hand was a bit sore, Bakura wasn't the least bit annoyed. The two filed out of the room and headed towards the main desk. A rather perky nurse explained the payment process.

"The billing office is closed for now, however I can take down your information for when they re-open. If you just call the second number on the list-" here she held out a business card with several hospital numbers on it- "they'll help you through everything. Just be sure to contact them within 48 hours, or there may be a fine."

"Fair enough." Before the patient could protest, the taller boy grabbed the card from the nurse. "I'll see that it's paid in full."

Ryou felt himself flushing again- he hadn't gotten the actual numbers, but he was certain this visit would amount to more than a small chunk of change. But the nurse only smiled (given their similar age and appearance, she assumed they were siblings) and wished them a good evening.

The two had just exited the hospital when there was a melodic buzzing from Ryou's pocket.

"Oh, excuse me- that must be Yugi and Jou." The polite youth explained. "They promised to check up on me later..."

Mr. Touzokou nodded. "They sound like good friends."

"Moshi-moshi!"

Bakura couldn't hear much, but he could tell that there were at least two voices on the other end of the call. 'Must be those two guys from the restaurant...'

Ryou sounded much more cheerful as he clued in his friends. "Yep, I'm properly stitched and bandaged- Mr. Touzokou stayed with me the entire time- uh-huh- wait, what?! _NO!_ That's- _Jou!_ Don't be vulgar!"

Bakura raised an eyebrow, but Ryou didn't elaborate. Instead, he chastised the louder voice before reassuring them that he was fine. "Anyway, it's all taken care of, so I don't even need to go back in for a follow-up. So long as I follow the doctor's orders, he promised it would heal up fully in a few weeks."

Bakura ran a hand through his white hair as the other spoke. He thought about getting the car, but wanted to make sure Ryou's friends knew he was alright first.

"Uh-huh- right. Thank you both, and I'll see you Sunday. Bye!" He hit the 'End Call' button and grinned. "Well, they're glad I'm fine, and you have their gratitude- as well as my own." Ryou suddenly returned to his shyer state, and his head tilted down as he spoke. "Um, speaking of- is there any w-way I can re-pay you?"

Bakura put one hand on his chin, as though he was thinking hard.

"Actually, there is _one_ thing. Aside from meeting you, this night has been a total wash-up. A horribly stuffy restaurant, nasty management, mixed with a terrible blind date..." He gave an over-dramatic sigh. "I think I'm going to need another night out just to relax after this one." He gave a small bow as he looked at the other pale youth. "And I believe it would be much more pleasant if you could join me."

The younger man blinked in shock.

Bakura wasn't sure if this was a rejection or not. "Er, if you don't mind going somewhere a little less fancy, that is...?"

Ryou shook his head rapidly from side to side and beamed at the taller man. "N-no- not at all!" He gasped out, clearly excited. "Sorry, I sort of... forgot how to speak for a moment... but I would love to, Mr. Touzokou!"

The waiter's mood was catching, and Bakura felt his own heartbeat speed up.

"I'm sure you'll want to rest after all this, but whenever you feel up to it, give me a call." He quickly scribbled down a number on a slip of paper and handed it to the outpatient. "And please, just call me 'Bakura.' I deal with enough formality from my father's friends."

"Ah, of course, Bakura-san." Ryou winked, clearly teasing with the overly-formal title.

Bakura couldn't help but snort as his slender companion giggled. 'Adorable, clever, _and_ funny... if I ever see that Watanabe b*stard again I'm going to thank him before I deck him.' Mr. Touzokou grinned as the two walked through the parking lot. It certainly wasn't the date he'd been expecting, but somehow it'd turned out infinitely better. 'Hmm... guess I'll have to thank Marik as well... before I deck him as well.' Bakura gently wrapped his arm around Ryou's uninjured side, earning a grateful look that made him want to melt.

Yes, Bakura was truly looking forward to spending more time with this endearing angel.

 _(P.S. -Jou asked if Ryou had to strip in front of Bakura during the doctor's examination. He did not.)_


End file.
